Strand Pasta Noodles

Pasta strands are long rods of pasta, which are generally round, but they are available in a square rod also. The basic difference from one variety to the next is the thickness of the strands. The thicker strands work well with a heavier sauce while the thin varieties are better with a more delicate sauce.

Strand Pasta Noodles

Pasta

Description

Estimated Cooking Time

Angel Hair (capelli d' angelo)

Extremely thin, long strands of pasta, which are available in both strands and nests. Also known as Capelli d'angelo.

Cooking Time: Cook for 2 to 4 minutes.

Barbina

A long strand pasta that is very similar to capellini. It is generally available in coiled nests.

Cook for 2 to 4 minutes.

Bigoli

Long strand pasta, which is made with whole-wheat and has a thickness similar to spaghetti. It has a rough surface, which helps it hold sauces better and absorb its flavor.

Cook for 9 to 12 minutes.

Capelli d'angelo (Angel Hair)

Extremely thin, long strands of pasta, which are available in both strands and nests. Also known as Angel hair.

Cook for 2 to 4 minutes.

Capellini

Long strands of pasta that are very similar to Angel hair pasta, only Capellini is slightly thicker. Often Capellini and Angel hair pasta are referred to as the same pasta. Available in both strands and nests.

Cooking Time: Cook for 2 to 4 minutes.

Chitarra (spaghetti alla chitarra)

Long pasta strands, which resemble spaghetti, except they are square instead of round.

Cooking Time: Cook for 10 to 13 minutes.

Ciriole

A thick strand of pasta that is stretched until it its approximately double the thickness of spaghetti. It has a squared shape rather than round like spaghetti.

Cooking Time: Cook for 7 to 10 minutes.

Fedelini (fidelini)

Very thin strands of long pasta, which are slightly thicker than vermicelli.

Cooking Time: Cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

Fusilli lunghi

Long, twisted, corkscrew or spring-like shaped pasta strands that are hollowed through the center of the strands.

Cooking Time: Cook for 10 to 12 minutes.

Spaghetti

Long thin round strand pastas.

Cooking Time: Cook for 9 to 12 minutes.

Spaghetti (Low Carb)

A low carbohydrate pasta that is the same thickness and size as regular spaghetti. It has about 25% of the carbohydrates contained in regular pasta.

Cooking Time: Cook for 6 to 9 minutes.

Spaghettini

A thinner version of spaghetti.

Cooking Time: Cook for 7 to 10 minutes.

Spaghettoni

A thicker version of spaghetti.

Cooking Time: Cook for 10 to 13 minutes.

Thin Spaghetti

A pasta strand very similar to vermicelli. Both thin spaghetti and vermicelli are slightly thinner than spaghettini.

Cooking Time: Cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

Vermicelli

Very thin, round pasta strands, which are similar to spaghettini. They are slightly thinner than spaghettini.